CBS News reports that “the Philippine president is taking his anti-U.S. rhetoric up a notch, saying Wednesday he wants to end joint military drills with the Americans just as a diplomatic tie-strengthening trip to China was announced.”

“President Rodrigo Duterte said he has instructed his defense chief not to prepare for joint exercises with the U.S. military next year as he moved to realize his threat to remove the highest-profile symbol of his country’s treaty alliance with Washington.”

“Duterte, however, reiterated Wednesday that he will not abrogate a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. He has said, however, that he’ll chart a foreign policy not dependent on Washington.”